System and method for social networking in a virtual space

ABSTRACT

Social networking in a virtual space over a network is facilitated. Subscriber computing devices each operated by a subscriber are associated with a subscriber identifier. Each computing device is connected to the network. A subscriber profile is created in a profile datastore, wherein the subscriber profile comprises information about the subscriber and wherein the subscriber profile is associated with the subscriber&#39;s subscriber identifier. Subscriber identifiers associated with subscribers who are logged in to a website are monitored. The website defines a virtual space and the logged-in subscribers are characterized as present in the virtual space. A web page is served to the computing devices of the present subscribers via the network. The web page of a first subscriber comprises a first subscriber icon associated with the first subscriber and subscriber icons of other present subscribers. A determination is made whether the first subscriber profile matches the subscriber profile of one or more of the other present subscribers according to matching criteria. An attribute is assigned to the icons of the other present subscribers that match the profile of the first subscriber according to matching criteria. Selected profile information is provided to the first subscriber of a selected one of any of the other present matching subscribers.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/406,200 filed Mar. 18, 2009 and U.S. application Ser. No. 12/104,886filed Apr. 17, 2008, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,522,058. The Ser. No.12/406,200 and the Ser. No. 12/104,886 applications from which priorityis claimed are incorporated by reference in their entireties for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Conceptually, the world can be divided into those with needs and/ordesires and people with potential means of satisfying those needs and/ordesires. For example, a salesperson may be seeking potential clients. Asingle person may be seeking a dating partner. A guitar player may beseeking a drummer. A shopper may be looking for a particular item tobuy. The difficulty has been in bringing the seekers into proximity andin providing them sufficient information to allow them to decide iftheir interests coincide.

Solutions to this problem are sometimes referred to as matching systemsand involve varying mechanisms for assessing whether a profile of theproblem owner and a profile of a solution owner “match” sufficiently toprovide information to at least one of the parties about the other. Forexample, RFID, GPS, and Bluetooth technology have been proposed toidentify individuals with related interests when they are in proximityto each other. If the individuals are sufficiently close to each other,various systems have been combined with profile records to determine ifthe individuals have interests that “match” and, if so, to facilitatethe exchange of location information between the individuals. Ad hocwireless networks have also been described that facilitate such anexchange. Reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,711,414 and 6,757,719 toLightman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,977,612 to Bennet, U.S. Pat. No.6,996,402 to Logan, U.S. Pat. No. 6,618,593 to Drutman, U.S. Pat. Nos.6,419,217 and 6,758,397 to Catan, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,098,793 and 6,961,000both to Chung, U.S. Pat. No. 6,992,574 to Aupperle, et al., and U.S.Pat. No. 7,092,002 to Ferren et al., U.S. Patent Application2005/0174975 filed by Mgrdechian, et al., U.S. Patent Application2007/0030824 filed by Ribaudo et al., U.S. Patent Application2006/0256959 filed by Hymes, U.S. Patent Application 2007/0096909 filedby Lally, and U.S. Patent Applications 2005/0177614 and 2005/0272413filed by Bourne, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,342,503 to Light et al., all ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.

These solutions are generally directed to providing information toindividuals having matching profiles who are present in a physicalspace.

What would be useful is an information exchange system that providesvisual and physiological cues to users in a virtual space.

In an embodiment, a virtual meeting space is established over a networkusing a server. The server establishes a domain in which subscribers arepermitted to mix. A subscriber has a profile comprising informationabout the subscriber, matching criteria, and communication preferences.The subscriber is assigned a virtual “badge.” An information processoris configured to store profiles of subscribers, to receive theinformation establishing the presence of subscribers, and to determinewhether the profiles of subscribers match according to matchingcriteria.

In an embodiment, a system for social networking in a virtual spacecomprises a network, subscriber computing devices each operated by asubscriber, wherein the subscriber is associated with a subscriberidentifier and wherein each computing device is connected to thenetwork, a profile datastore, wherein the profile datastore comprises asubscriber profile comprising information about the subscriber andwherein the subscriber profile is associated with the subscriber'ssubscriber identifier, and an information processor connected to thenetwork.

The information processor comprises instructions for monitoringsubscriber identifiers associated with subscribers who are logged into awebsite, wherein the website defines a virtual space and the logged-insubscribers are characterized as present in the virtual space, serving aweb page to the computing devices of the present subscribers via thenetwork, wherein the web page of a first subscriber comprises a firstsubscriber icon associated with the first subscriber and subscribericons of other present subscribers, determining whether the firstsubscriber profile matches the subscriber profile of one or more of theother present subscribers according to matching criteria, assigning anattribute to the icons of the other present subscribers having profilesthat match the profile of the first subscriber according to the matchingcriteria, and providing selected profile information to the firstsubscriber of a selected one of any of the other present matchingsubscribers.

By way of illustration and not as a limitation, a subscriber computingdevice may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a cellphone,or a smartphone.

By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the network may be awireless network, a wired network, a fiber network, a public network, aprivate network, or a subscriber network.

By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the subscriber icons maybe a geometric shape, an avatar, a shape of an animal, a shape of anobject.

By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the profile informationmay include personal data and preference data.

By way of illustration and not as a limitation, an attribute may be acolor, a hue, a size, a shape, a sound, flashing, or a periodic changefrom one attribute to another attribute.

In an embodiment, the virtual space is representative of a real space,and the web page comprises a graphical depiction of the virtual space.In this embodiment, the information processor further comprisesinstructions for determining a location of the subscriber computerrelative to the real space and the first subscriber icon and the otherpresent subscriber icons are displayed relative to their locations inthe real space.

By way of illustration and not as a limitation, the real space may be acountry, a city, a geographic region, a shopping mall, a trade showvenue, a social venue, a school, a university, a bar, a night club, or asports venue.

In yet another embodiment, the computing devices are wireless devices,the network is a wireless network, and the first subscriber and theother present subscribers are physically located in the real space.

An embodiment comprises a method for social networking in a virtualspace over a network. Subscriber computing devices each operated by asubscriber are associated with a subscriber identifier. Each computingdevice is connected to the network. A subscriber profile is created in aprofile datastore, wherein the subscriber profile comprises informationabout the subscriber and wherein the subscriber profile is associatedwith the subscriber's subscriber identifier. Subscriber identifiersassociated with subscribers who are logged in to a website aremonitored. The website defines a virtual space and the logged-insubscribers are characterized as present in the virtual space. A webpage is served to the computing devices of the present subscribers viathe network. The web page of a first subscriber comprises a firstsubscriber icon associated with the first subscriber and subscribericons of other present subscribers. A determination is made whether thefirst subscriber profile matches the subscriber profile of one or moreof the other present subscribers according to matching criteria. Anattribute is assigned to the icons of the other present subscribershaving profiles that match the profile of the first subscriber accordingto matching criteria. Selected profile information is provided to thefirst subscriber of a selected one of any of the other present matchingsubscribers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the logical elements of a virtual matching systemaccording to an embodiment hereof.

FIG. 2 illustrates a virtual meeting space according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a response to the selection of an attribute iconaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a matching process using a single set of matchingcriteria according to an embodiment.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a matching process in which differingmatching criteria are used according to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a matching network 650 located within a bounded spaceaccording to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates the logical elements of a virtual matching systemaccording to an embodiment hereof. In an embodiment, a virtual meetingspace is established over a network in which subscribers may congregateand network for a variety of purposes. In this embodiment virtualmeeting space (VMS) server 100 comprises an information processor 114, asubscriber record datastore 120, a communications system 125, subscriberdisplay manager 130, subscriber input manager 135, subscriber loginmanager 140, and matching data manager 142.

A subscriber computing device 150 comprises subscriber client 155. Byway of illustration and not as a limitation, computing device 150 may bea standalone device such as a desktop computer or laptop computer, or itmay be a communications device such as a cellular phone, a pager, apersonal data assistant, a transponder, a radio, a walkie-talkie, orother mobile device that may communicate via network. Computing device150 interacts with client 155 via graphical user interface (GUI) 160. Byway of illustration and not as a limitation, the computing device mayutilize an input device (not illustrated) such as a touch screen, keypad, pointing device, thumbwheel, voice recognition system or similarinput mechanisms.

Subscriber client communicates via network 145 with VMS server 100.Network 145 may be the Internet or it may be a limited access networksuch as a cable network or wireless network. Subscriber client 155comprises GUI 160 and optional communication system 165.

Subscriber records datastore 120 comprises a subscriber profile for eachsubscriber associated with a subscriber identifier. By way ofillustration and not as a limitation, a subscriber profile comprisescharacteristic data and preference data. The characteristic data mayinclude age, marital status, physical size, physical limitations, andsimilar personal information. Preference data, for example, may includeinformation relevant to establishing a business relationship or a socialrelationship and information related to preferences in food, clothing,sports, entertainment, and music, and information that determines atleast in part how the subscriber interacts with other subscribers.

Subscriber profile data may be collected from a subscriber via acomputer, a telephone, or via a personal interview. In an embodiment, asubscriber is interviewed and the voice of the subscriber is processedby a voice pattern recognition algorithm to determine whether theanswers given by the subscriber are truthful. Detection of stress in avoice pattern algorithm may indicate that a subscriber is lying or thatthe particular response is a subject of stress for the subscriber thatrequires further exploration via questions or perhaps human interaction.Users that are not truthful or who may not be able to complete aquestionnaire without a stress reaction are not allowed into the system.As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, other methods ofdetermining the truthfulness or stress of a subscriber may be used aswell.

FIG. 2 illustrates a virtual meeting space according to an embodiment.Referring to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a subscriber logs in to VMS server100 via login manager 140. When a subscriber is logged in, thesubscriber is deemed to be “present” in VMS 230. The subscriber isidentified to VMS server 100 via the subscriber ID associated with thesubscriber record stored in subscriber records datastore 120. Asubscriber A icon 240 is displayed within VMS 230 to computing device205 indicating that the subscriber using computing device 205 is presentin the space. A subscriber icon B 250 is displayed within VMS 230 tocomputing device 210 indicating that the subscriber using computingdevice 210 is present in the space. As will be described below, theplacement and movement of subscriber A icon 240 and subscriber B icon250 is in various embodiments under the control of the subscriberassociated with the particular icon. In an embodiment, subscriber A icon240 is visible to subscriber A but not to subscriber B and subscriber Bicon 250 is visible to subscriber B but not to subscriber A. In otherembodiments, the visibility of icons associated with other users isunder the control of the viewing subscriber. In these embodiments, theviewing subscriber may cause other icons to be visible, to be visible ina diminished way so as to indicate presence, or to be visible only whenthe other subscriber icons are “icons of interest” as described below.In still another embodiment, when a subscriber logs off or turns thecomputer off, the respective subscriber icon will disappear from thedisplay of other subscribers. Subscriber icons may appear as avatars,animals, or inanimate objects in order to add further interest to theVMS 230. Further, these shapes may change based on the circumstances ofany meeting. Thus a subscriber may wish to change its avatar as ameeting progresses so that symbols and shapes can change as moreinformation is exchanged between subscribers.

In an embodiment, a subscriber may define the geographical boundaries ofthe virtual meeting space, either by establishing a preference insubscriber records datastore 120 or by providing geographical boundariesto subscriber input manager 135 via GUI 160. By way of illustration andnot as a limitation, a geographical boundary may be established usingcountry, county, or city names, by providing a zip or postal codes, byproviding a radial distance from a location point, or other means. In anembodiment, VMS server 100 reports the number of other subscribers inthe space chosen by the subscriber to allow the subscriber to expand orcontract the space size. In yet another embodiment, the subscriber mayselect a location point and request that the space size be adjusted fromthe location point to include a preferred number of other subscribers.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the boundary of VMS 230 is arbitrary. However,this is not meant as a limitation. In other embodiments, the boundary ofVMS 230 may be defined and represented by a bounded space that isrelated to a real (non-virtual) space. In this embodiment, the shape ofVMS 230 may correspond to the shape of the bounded space or may beassociated with its real space analog by reference points in the realspace. For example, the boundary of VMS 230 may be a scaled map of astate, a city, a neighborhood or the like or it may provide location anddistance information to relate subscribers to each other or a subscriberto a physical location within the real space.

In an embodiment, a subscriber login manager 140 requests locationinformation from the subscriber. By way of illustration and not as alimitation, a subscriber may enter a zip or postal code, an address, mapcoordinates, or longitude and latitude values to identify a currentlocation of the subscriber.

In another embodiment, the subscriber is physically present in a realspace that is represented by a bounded space and the actual location ofa subscriber relative to the bounded space may be determined from dataprovided by the subscriber or by acquisition of location data byautomated means. FIG. 6 illustrates a matching network 650 locatedwithin a bounded space (not illustrated) according to an embodiment.Subscribers may be pre-registered with VMS server 614 or may register atregistration portal 610 before joining the matching network 650. In oneembodiment and as illustrated in FIG. 6, a subscriber may register usingregistration portal 610 via the Internet 612 to access registrationserver 630 connected to VMS server 614 via matching network 650.

Subscriber A is associated with location device 634. Subscriber B isassociated with location device 636. By way of illustration and not as alimitation, location devices 634 and 636 may be Bluetooth-based devices,WiFi-based devices, GPS-based devices, or RFID-based devices. Locationdevices may be permanently assigned to a subscriber or assigned when thesubscriber arrives at the bounded space.

Location devices 634 and 636 are tracked within the real space that isrepresented by the bounded space by location detectors 630 and 632.Location information is provided to VMS server 100. By way ofillustration and not as a limitation, the location device utilized bythe subscriber may be an RFID-enabled device, a Bluetooth-enableddevice, a GPS-enabled device, or similar device. While only two locationdetectors 630 and 632 are illustrated, this is not meant as alimitation. It is anticipated that a real space that is represented by abounded space will have number location detectors to detect both thelocation of a subscriber and a direction in which the subscriber/shoppermay be moving over time. Various technologies, including signal strengthmeasures and triangulation may be used to determine the location of asubscriber relative to the location detectors 630 and 632.

The VMS server 614 communicates with subscriber computing device 640 and642 via wireless network 620. As will be described below, in thisembodiment, the VMS server 614 uses the wireless network 620 to sendmatch alert signals to computing devices 640 and 642.

Referring again to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the location of a subscriber icon(such as icon 240 or icon 250) may be depicted on a subscriber computingdevice relative to a graphical representation of a virtual meetingspace. If the virtual meeting space is a bounded space, the graphicalrepresentation of the bounded space may be representative of the shapeof the bounded space and, optionally, drawn to scale. As will bedescribed below, the subscriber icons (240, 250) may be moved within thevirtual meeting space so as to facilitate an exchange of information.

In an embodiment, a subscriber may interact with a bounded space viasubscriber input manager 135 to zoom or pan the scaled depiction of thebounded space so as to place the subscriber icon in the bounded space ina location that is analogous to a location in a real space representedby the bounded space.

In another embodiment, the bounded space may be a building or a meetingroom. In this embodiment, VMS 230 may be further divided into sub-spaces260 such as landmarks, rooms, and cubicles.

The presence of a subscriber in VMS 230 allows the subscriber tointeract with VMS 230 and other subscribers. By way of example and notas a limitation, a subscriber A uses computing device 205 to log in toVMS server 100. In this example, VMS 230 is described from theperspective of subscriber A. Other subscribers would experience similarinteractions with VMS 230. In this example, a subscriber B usescomputing device B 210 to log in to VMS server 100. In this embodiment,subscribers A and B have each defined a VMS that at least encompassesVMS 230. Subscriber A and B are each present in VMS 230 as indicated bysubscriber icons 240, 250.

In addition to the subscriber A icon 240, under conditions describedbelow subscriber display manager 130 causes a match indicator 242 to bedisplayed on the served web page sent to computing device A 205 and amatch indicator 252 to be displayed on the served web page sent tocomputing device 210. In an embodiment, a match indicator is a graphicgenerated by subscriber display manager 130. Match indicators 242 and252 may take any form that conveniently indicates the status of a match.In an embodiment, the graphical representation of match indicators 242and 252 is user definable. As noted above, individual subscribers arefree to represent themselves as any avatar they desire and that avatarcan change its size and shape depending upon the match that is occurringand how the individual wants to be presented to another person.

Match indicator 242 associated with subscriber A comprises an attributesicon 244 and a profile data icon 246. Match indicator 252 associatedwith subscriber B comprises an attributes icon 254 and a profile dataicon 256. Attributes icon 244 as seen by subscriber A links toinformation of a subscriber that “matches” the profile informationprovided by subscriber A. For example, attributes icon 244 may link toinformation about subscriber B.

Attributes icon 254 as seen by subscriber B links to information of asubscriber that “matches” the profile information provided by subscriberB. For example, attributes icon 254 may link to information aboutsubscriber A.

Profile data icon 246 provides a link to information about anothersubscriber present in VMS 230 which may be subscriber B. Profile dataicon 256 provides a link to information about another subscriber presentin VMS 230 which may be subscriber A. Match indicator 242 is onlypresented to subscriber A. That is, subscriber B will also see amatching indicator (252) but the content conveyed by the matchingindicator 252 served to computing device B 210 will be different fromthe content of match indicator 242.

Referring again to FIG. 1, login manager 140 establishes the presence ofall subscribers in VMS 230. Login manager sends a presence signalcomprising a subscriber identifier of each present subscriber toinformation processor 114.

In an embodiment, information processor 114 comprises a set of “default”instructions that determine how the profile information of subscriber Aand subscriber B as reflected in subscriber records datastore 120 is tobe related or “matched” to other present subscribers. For example, usingsubscribers A and B as examples, the default matching instructions mayrequire that a match will be determined only if the age differencebetween subscriber A and subscriber B is ten years or less.

Other more complex matches are within the scope of the variousembodiments and may be multi-dimensional in nature leading to a “score”related to compatibility of the match. That is, a “match” between theprofiles of subscriber A and subscriber B is quantitatively determined.In this embodiment, the default matching instructions produce a totalmatching score by assigning values to specific matching criteria. Asdescribed below, the default matching criteria and the weight assignedto a specific criterion may be modified by the subscriber inestablishing the subscriber records datastore 120.

In an embodiment, when a determination is made that matching scores ofsubscribers A and B are within an acceptable range or exceed apredetermined threshold, a match alert signal is sent from theinformation processor 114 to subscriber display manager 130. The matchalert signal may comprise audio information, video information, textualinformation, and graphical information. Additionally, the match alertsignal may provide location information of a subscriber where a “match”is present or provide directions to the location of a subscriber withwhom a “match” exists. Matching data manager 142 keeps track of matchingdata for each subscriber.

Again describing the process from the perspective of subscriber A, in anembodiment, the match alert signal is passed by subscriber displaymanager 130 to match indicator 242. The match alert signal affects thebehavior of the subscriber icons 240 and 250. In an embodiment, thesubscriber B icon 250 becomes visible to subscriber A, as will the iconsof other subscribers that have been identified as meeting the thresholdcriteria for a match (herein, “subscribers of interest”). In anotherembodiment, the display of the matching subscriber icons is indicativeof the match score. For example, the highest scores may flash, be largerin size, be displayed with a color or hue or intensity, or anycombination of such indicators. Additionally, a subscriber icon maydisplay a number indicative of the score associated with the subscriberby the information processor 114.

Again from the perspective of subscriber A, when information processor114 determines that the profiles of subscriber A and B “match,” thematch indicator 242 is visible to subscriber A. In an embodiment, thematch indicator becomes visible to subscriber A when subscriber A movessubscriber A icon 240 into proximity to subscriber B icon 250.Alternatively, match indicator 242 is visible to subscriber A whensubscriber A moves a cursor to the subscriber B icon 250.

Match indicator 242 responds by presenting attributes icon 244 andprofile data icon 246 to subscriber A. Attributes icon 244 is linked tomatching data manager 142. When selected by subscriber A, attributesicon presents a brief summary of the attributes of subscriber B,subscriber B's matching score, and other general information. In anembodiment, the detail presented when the attributes icon is selectedmay be conditioned on permissions granted by subscribers whoseinformation is being requested. Thus, a subscriber may allow aphotograph to be displayed and the matching score. Alternatively, asubscriber may allow only non-identifying information to be disclosed.In yet another embodiment, subscriber A may establish preferences as towhen attributes icons are displayed. Thus, the attributes icon may beautomatically selected when the match indicator 242 is displayed.

When profile data icon 246 is selected by subscriber A, a request forprofile data of subscriber B is conveyed to VMS server 100. In anembodiment, the presentation of profile data of one subscriber toanother subscriber is conditioned on permissions granted by subscriberswhose information is being requested. For example, subscriber B mayelect to withhold all profile information from other subscribers,provide a limited set of profile information if the matching scoreexceeds a subscriber-defined threshold, or provide all profileinformation without restriction.

In an embodiment, the selection of profile data icon by subscriber Acauses information processor 114 to send a request message to subscriberB for release of profile information to subscriber A. The message may beconveyed to GUI 160 (FIG. 1) residing on subscriber computing device 210(FIG. 2) as a text or audio message, an instant message, or a messageproduced using other network protocols.

Alternatively, the request message may be relayed through communicationssystem 125 (FIG. 1) via network 145 (FIG. 1) to communications system165 (FIG. 1) operating on client 155 (FIG. 1) of subscriber computingdevice 210 (FIG. 2) or to an external communications device (notillustrated) selected by subscriber B. By way of illustration and not asa limitation, communications system may utilize VoIP, SMS, or e-mail.The message may be sent to computing device 210 or an external devicesuch as a cell phone, a PDA, or similar communications device.

Subscriber B may decline the request message. If this occurs,information processor 114 causes a decline message to be sent tosubscriber A as previously described in the context of the communicationof the request message to subscriber B. Additionally, subscriber displaymanager 130 changes the appearance of subscriber B icon 250 to indicatea lack of interest on the part of subscriber B.

Subscriber B may accept the request message and release the subscriber Bprofile data to subscriber A. Concurrently, subscriber B receives theprofile data of subscriber A. The transfer of profile data also promptsinformation processor 114 to send a contact invitation to bothsubscriber A and subscriber B. In an embodiment, both subscriber A andsubscriber B must accept the contact invitation before the contactinformation is shared. The contact invitation may also include an offerto establish communications using communications system 125 aspreviously described in the context of the communication of the requestmessage to subscriber B.

In an embodiment, communications system 125 causes a chat screen to openup allowing the individual users to chat with one another. If the chatsession appears to be one that shows further affinity between theindividuals, each individual can permit his picture to be displayed inassociation with the chat that is occurring. In this sense, theindividual uses control at the level of personal information that isexchanged between one another assuming that an appropriate match levelis achieved.

At another level, if an appropriate match level is achieved, an audiolink can be opened between two individuals allowing those individuals toverbally chat with one another and exchange additional information. Partof any such audio chat can be a voice stress analyzer that can displayfor either user any stress in speech patterns that would be indicativeof lying on the part of the speaker. The voice stress analysis can berun by the server, thereby providing a visual indication to theindividual users when one or the other is not telling the truth. Thisaudio link can be facilitated over any number of channels. If both usersregister as having, for example, a Skype connection, the voice channelcan be open between the two individuals using the Skype system.Similarly any other audio system capability that might exist between thetwo computers can be registered and then utilized for voicecommunication.

In an embodiment, subscriber A may place a contact invitation on “hold”for a fixed period of time to allow subscriber A to determine whetherother subscribers are of equal or greater interest to subscriber A thansubscriber B.

The default matching instructions may be modified by a preferencesetting in a subscriber profile stored in the subscriber recordsdatastore 120. For example, if subscriber A's profile requires that theage difference not exceed two years, the default matching instructionswill be modified to use the age criterion of subscriber A's profile.

FIG. 3 illustrates a response to the selection of an attribute iconaccording to an embodiment.

In another embodiment, when attributes icon 244 is selected bysubscriber A, subscriber display manager 130 causes a subscriber ofinterest profile summary 310 as previously described and action list 320to appear on a web page 300 being served to subscriber A. Action list320 comprises selection icons that may be selected by subscriber A. Ifaction icon 320A is selected, a profile request is sent to informationprocessor 114 as previously described. If action icon 320B is selected,subscriber A may request that subscribers of interest be furtherfiltered using a set of “auxiliary” matching criteria stored insubscriber A's profile record. By also selecting action icon D1 or D2,subscriber A may request that the auxiliary criteria be only applied tothe current subscriber of interest (320D1) or to all subscribers ofinterest (320D2).

Subscriber A may also select action icon 320C1. Action icon 320C1comprises a list of selectable matching criteria that can beindividually selected and sent to information processor 114 bysubscriber A. By also selecting action icon D1 or D2, subscriber A mayrequest that the auxiliary criteria be only applied to the currentsubscriber of interest (320D1) or to all subscribers of interest(320D2).

In circumstances where the default matching instructions have beenmodified by a subscriber, the matching attribute values may be differentfor subscribers A and B depending on whether one or both of the users'profiles has matching instructions or if either or both users determinethe matching value at their respective match indicators. Thus subscriberA's match indicator may inform subscriber B that subscriber A is a match(color) but qualitatively low in terms of scoring (hue and saturation).Subscriber B's match indicator may inform subscriber A that subscriber Bis a qualitatively good match.

FIG. 4 illustrates a matching process using a single set of matchingcriteria according to an embodiment. For ease of discussion and not as alimitation, the description that follows applies the matching process toa subscriber A and a subscriber B.

The presence of subscribers A and B is detected in the VMS 400. Defaultmatching instructions are loaded into an information processor 405. Thesubscriber IDs of subscriber A and B are used to retrieve the profilesof subscribers A and B 410. A determination is made whether the profileof a subscriber comprises matching criteria 415. If no subscribermatching criteria are found, the default matching instructions areapplied 425 to the subscriber profiles of subscribers A and B. If one ormore of the subscriber profiles comprises auxiliary matching criteria,the default matching instructions are modified using the mostrestrictive of the auxiliary matching instructions 420.

A determination is made whether the profiles of subscriber A and B“match” 430 according to the matching instructions. If a match is found,match alert signals as described above are sent to the subscribers'match indicators 440. Subscriber display manager 130 causes subscriber Bicon to be displayed on the web page served to subscriber A andsubscriber A icon to be displayed on the web page served to subscriberB. If no match is found, the process returns to detecting the presenceof subscribers in the VMS 400.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a matching process in which differingmatching criteria are used according to an embodiment. For ease ofdiscussion and not as a limitation, the description that follows appliesthe matching process to a subscriber A and a subscriber B.

Referring to FIG. 5A, the presence of subscribers A and B is detected inthe VMS 500. Default matching instructions are loaded into aninformation processor 505. The subscriber IDs of subscriber A and B areused to retrieve the profiles of subscribers A and B 510. Adetermination is made whether the profile of subscriber A comprisesauxiliary matching instructions 516. If so, the default matchinginstructions are modified 520. The default matching instructions or thematching instructions as modified by the auxiliary matching instructionsare applied to the profile information of subscribers A and B 524.

A determination is made whether the profile of subscriber B comprisesauxiliary matching instructions 518. If so, the default matchinginstructions are modified 522. The default matching instructions or thematching instructions as modified by the auxiliary matching instructionsare applied to the profile information of subscriber B 526.

A determination is made whether the profiles “match” according to thematching instructions applied by both subscriber A and subscriber B 530.If both do not match, the process returns to detecting the presence ofsubscribers in the VMS 500. If both match, subscriber display manager130 causes subscriber B icon to be displayed on the web page served tosubscriber A and subscriber A icon to be displayed on the web pageserved to subscriber B.

In an embodiment, a matching system is implemented at an event, such asa trade show, in which a large number of attendees pre-register. Duringthe registration process, profile information is acquired from potentialattendees. This profile information may be used to provide the potentialattendee an initial indication of whether persons or vendors of interestwill be in attendance at the event. Following registration but prior tothe commencement of the event, the registered attendees may bepre-matched according to default matching instructions. Upon thecommencement of the event, the presence of the registered attendees isdetermined.

In another embodiment, the location of attendees is determined usinglocation devices previously described. The relative location of matchingattendees is then reflected in the graphical depiction of the trade showvenue on the subscriber's computing device. As attendees with matchingprofiles come into proximity with one another, match alert signals areprovided as appropriate to the computing devices operated by theattendees.

In another embodiment, a determination is made whether a pre-registeredattendee has modified his or her profile information since registering.If the profile has been modified, the matching process is re-run usingthe updated information. Additionally, the matching process is run onattendees who did not pre-register.

The behavior of the matching elements may vary depending on whether theprofile information is associated with an individual representing apersonal interest or an individual representing a commercial interest.For example, in the case of an event in which the primary objective isto introduce individuals for social purposes, it might be desirable toprovide an individual control over the disclosure of his personalinformation, location, and contact information. In this application, anacknowledgement of a match alert signal by both of the match users maybe desirable prior to initiation of the exchange of information.

In the case where the objective is to match an individual with a productor product information, such as a booth at a trade show, the matchingdata may be sent to the subscriber's computing device in real timewithout the need for a profile request. For example, a subscriber'scomputing device may be alerted when the subscriber arrives at the tradeshow venue and alerted again when the subscriber is in proximity to adisplay booth that matches the subscriber's profile.

The applications to which a matching system incorporating a matchingindicator may be directed are numerous. The distinction between themlies primarily in the types of data provided in the profile/preferencedata associated with the subscriber clients and used to perform thematching process and the way in which the matching information isconveyed to users. The examples that follow assume that users arepresent within the virtual meeting space (VMS).

In an application, a matching system operates in a shopping mall.Referring again to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, a subscriber/shopper creates aprofile on the information processor 114 that is stored in subscriberrecords datastore 120. The subscriber/shopper may create his or herprofile before arriving at the mall using a registration portal 610, orthe subscriber/shopper may utilize a registration server 630 operatingat the mall. The subscriber's profile comprises a shopping list of itemsthat the subscriber/shopper is interested in purchasing. In thisapplication, subscriber records 120 include a record for each merchantidentifying items that a merchant located within the mall desires tosell. For example, the merchant record may include items that merchantshave on special or the entire inventory of one or more merchants.Information processor 114 operates matching instructions that determineif there is a match between the shopping list of the subscriber/shopperand the items identified by the merchants within the mall.

The location of the subscriber/shopper within the mall is detected by alocation detector 630. If a match has been determined, a match alertsignal is sent to the subscriber computing device 150 indicating thatitems of interest to the shopper may be located at a list of merchants.The match alert signal may, for example, identify the items on theshopping list of the subscriber/shopper that match the inventories ofvarious merchants within the mall. The subscriber's computing devicewould also illustrate the shopper's location within the mall and thelocation of the merchants having items of interest. The shopper proceedsto a merchant identified in the match alert signal.

Referring again to FIG. 6, the location of the subscriber/shopper withinthe mall is determined by reference to the location of the locationdetector 630 that has detected the presence of subscriber A locationdevice 634 that is associated with subscriber A computing device 640.

While only two location detectors 630 and 632 are illustrated, this isnot meant as a limitation. It is anticipated that a bounded space willhave a number of location detectors to detect both the location of asubscriber and a direction in which the subscriber/shopper may be movingover time.

In an embodiment, a match alert signal may be sent to a computing deviceof a subscriber/merchant when the subscriber/shopper is in proximity toan item on the shopper's list. The computing device of the subscribermerchant may act on the match alert signal to enhance the shoppingexperience of the subscriber/shopper and to increase the chances thatthe subscriber/shopper will make a purchase. By way of illustration, thecomputing device of the subscriber/merchant may cause a message to bedisplayed on the computing device of the subscriber/shopper offering aparticular item, offering a coupon, or offering a sales price. Thecomputing device of the subscriber/merchant may additionally oralternatively cause a physical display device to provide a message tothe subscriber/shopper.

In an embodiment, the messaging of the subscriber/shopper by thesubscriber/merchant may be affected by the preferences of the subscribershopper. The preferences of the subscriber/shopper may block anymessages from a subscriber/merchant, may allow messages to the computingdevice of the subscriber/shopper but not to a physical display, and mayallow only a shopper's nickname to be provided to thesubscriber/merchant in the event of a match and for display on aphysical device.

In another implementation, a matching system is operated in a socialclub in which individuals desiring to meet other individuals congregate.

Referring again to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, subscribers A and B create profileson information processor 114 that are stored in subscriber recordsdatastore 120. The subscriber may create his or her profile beforearriving at the social club using a registration portal 610, or thesubscriber/shopper may utilize a registration server 630 operating atthe social club. As previously described, the subscribers' profiles arestored in subscriber records 120. Information processor 114 operatesmatching instructions that determine if there is a match between theprofiles of subscriber A and subscriber B as previously described.

In this implementation, subscriber A is associated with subscriber Acomputing device 640 and subscriber A location device 634. Subscriber Bis associated with subscriber B computing device 642 and subscriber Blocation device 636. Matching instructions are applied to the subscriberprofiles of subscriber A and subscriber B and a match is found. Thematch alert signal is passed by VMS server 614 to subscriber A computingdevice 640 and subscriber B computing device 642. The computing devicesdisplay the location of subscriber A icon (FIG. 2, 240) and the locationof subscriber B icon (FIG. 2, 250) relative to the bounded space aspreviously described. Match indicators A and B (FIGS. 2, 242 and 254respectively) are also displayed. In an embodiment, when subscriber A isin proximity to two potential matches, only the subscriber icon of the“best” match will be displayed.

In yet another implementation, the bounded space is a trade show.Referring again to FIGS. 1, 2 and 6, a subscriber/attendee creates aprofile on the information processor 114 that is stored in subscriberrecords datastore 120 that indicates areas of interest of the attendee.For example, an attendee may be interested in information about aproduct, a company, or a person associated with a company. Thesubscriber/attendee may create his or her profile before arriving at themall using a registration portal 610 or the subscriber/attendee mayutilize a registration server 630 operating at the mall. In thisapplication, subscriber records 120 include a record for each presenteridentifying information about products, services, technology and thelike that a presenter located within the trade show is offering.Information processor 114 (see FIG. 1) operates matching instructionsthat determine if there is a match between the interests of thesubscriber/attendee and the information offered by the presenters at thetrade show.

If a match between the profile of a subscriber/attendee and asubscriber/presenter has been determined, a match alert signal is sentto the subscriber computing device 150 (FIG. 1) indicating that items ofinterest to the attendee may be located at a list of presenters. Thematch alert signal may, for example, identify the items on the interestlist of subscriber/attendee that match the products, services, orinformation content of the presenters. The subscriber's computing devicewould also illustrate the attendee's location within the trade showvenue and the locations of the presenters having items of interest. Thelocation of an attendee of a trade show within the trade show isdetermined by reference to the location of the location detector 630that has detected the presence of subscriber/attendee A location device634 and is associated with subscriber A computing device 640. Apresenter is associated with computing device B 642.

While only two location detectors 630 and 632 are illustrated, this isnot meant as a limitation. It is anticipated that a bounded space willhave a number of location detectors to detect both the location of asubscriber and a direction in which the subscriber/attendee may bemoving over time.

In an embodiment, a match alert signal may be sent to a computing deviceof a subscriber/presenter when the subscriber/attendee is in proximityto the display area of the subscriber/presenter. The computing device ofthe subscriber/presenter may act on the match alert signal to enhancethe experience of the subscriber/attendee and to increase the chancesthat subscriber/attendee will make contact. By way of illustration, thecomputing device of the subscriber/presenter may cause a message to bedisplayed on the computing device of the subscriber/attendee offering apresentation, a product sample or a gift. The computing device of thesubscriber/presenter may additionally or alternatively cause a physicaldisplay device to provide a message to the subscriber/attendee.

In an embodiment, the messaging of the subscriber/attendee by thesubscriber/presenter may be affected by the preferences of thesubscriber attendee. The preferences of the subscriber/attendee mayblock any messages from a subscriber/presenter, may allow messages tothe computing device of the subscriber/attendee but not to a physicaldisplay, and may allow only an attendee's nickname to be provided to thesubscriber/presenter in the event of a match and for display on aphysical device.

It will also be understood that the invention may be embodied in otherspecific forms without departing from the scope of the inventiondisclosed and that the examples and embodiments described herein are inall respects illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the artof the present invention will recognize that other embodiments using theconcepts described herein are also possible. Further, any reference toclaim elements in the singular, for example, using the articles “a,”“an,” or “the” is not to be construed as limiting the element to thesingular.

1. A system for social networking in a virtual space comprising: anetwork; subscriber computing devices, wherein the subscriber computingdevices are each associated with a subscriber identifier and whereineach computing device is connected to the network; a profile datastore,wherein the profile datastore comprises a subscriber profile comprisinginformation about a subscriber and wherein the subscriber profile isassociated with the subscriber's subscriber identifier; an informationprocessor connected to the network, wherein the information processorcomprises instructions for: monitoring subscriber identifiers associatedwith the subscriber devices that are logged into a website, wherein thewebsite defines a virtual space and the logged-in subscriber devices arecharacterized as present in the virtual space; serving web pages to thecomputing devices of the present subscribers via the network, wherein aweb page of a present subscriber comprises a subscriber icon associatedwith the present subscriber and subscriber icons of other presentsubscribers; determining whether a subscriber profile associated withthe present subscriber matches the subscriber profiles associated withthe other present subscribers according to matching criteria (herein,the “matching determination”), wherein the matching determinationresults in a matching score; in response to the matching determination,linking the icon of the present subscriber to the icons associated withother present subscribers having profiles that match the profile of thesubscriber according to the matching criteria; displaying a matchindicator to the present subscriber of a selected one of the otherpresent matching subscribers associated with the selected one of theother present matching subscribers; and assigning an attribute to theicon of the present subscriber according to the matching score.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the match indicator comprises an attributeicon associated with the selected one of the other present matchingsubscribers and wherein the processor further comprises instructionsfor: determining when the attribute icon is selected by the presentsubscriber; and when the attribute icon is selected by the presentsubscriber, displaying attribute information associated with theselected one of the other present matching subscribers to the presentsubscriber in accordance with at least one attribute conditionestablished by the selected one of the other present matchingsubscribers.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the icon of the presentsubscriber and the icons of the other present subscribers are selectedfrom the group consisting of a geometric shape, an avatar, a shape of ananimal, and a shape of an object.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein theattribute is selected from the group consisting of a color, a hue, asize, a shape, a sound, flashing, and a periodic change from oneattribute to another attribute.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein thesubscriber computing devices are selected from the group consisting of adesktop computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a cellphone, and asmartphone.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the profile information isselected from the group consisting of personal data and preference data.7. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual space is representative ofa real space and wherein the web page comprises a graphical depiction ofthe virtual space.
 8. The system of claim 12, wherein the informationprocessor further comprises instructions for determining a location ofthe subscriber computing device relative to the real space and whereinthe icon of the present subscriber and the icons of the other presentsubscribers are displayed relative to their locations in the real space.9. The system of claim 12, wherein the real space is selected from acountry, a city, a geographic region, a shopping mall, a trade showvenue, a social venue, a school, a university, a bar, a night club, anda sports venue.
 10. The system of claim 12, wherein computing devicesare wireless devices, the network is a wireless network, and the presentsubscriber and the other present subscribers are physically located inthe real space.
 11. A method for social networking in a virtual spaceover a network comprising: associating subscriber computing devices withsubscriber identifiers, wherein each computing device is connected tothe network; creating a subscriber profile in a profile datastore,wherein the subscriber profile comprises information about a subscriberand wherein the subscriber profile is associated with the subscriber'ssubscriber identifier; monitoring subscriber identifiers associated withthe subscriber devices that are logged into a website, wherein thewebsite defines a virtual space and the logged-in subscriber devices arecharacterized as present in the virtual space; serving web pages to thecomputing devices of the present subscribers via the network, wherein aweb page of a present subscriber comprises a subscriber icon associatedwith the present subscriber and subscriber icons of other presentsubscribers; determining whether a subscriber profile associated withthe present subscriber matches the subscriber profiles associated withthe other present subscribers according to matching criteria (herein,the “matching determination”), wherein the matching determinationresults in a matching score; in response to the matching determination,linking the icon of the present subscriber to the icons associated withother present subscribers having profiles that match the profile of thesubscriber according to the matching criteria and assigning an attributeto the icons of the other present subscribers having profiles that matchthe profile of the present subscriber according to matching criteria;displaying a match indicator to the present subscriber of a selected oneof the other present matching subscribers associated with the selectedone of the other present matching subscribers; and assigning anattribute to the icon of the present subscriber according to thematching score.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the match indicatorcomprises an attribute icon associated with the selected one of theother present matching subscribers and wherein the method furthercomprises: determining when the attribute icon is selected by thepresent subscriber; and when the attribute icon is selected by thepresent subscriber, displaying attribute information associated with theselected one of the other present matching subscribers to the presentsubscriber in accordance with at least one attribute conditionestablished by the selected one of the other present matchingsubscribers.
 13. The method of claim 11 wherein the icon of the presentsubscriber and the icons of the other present subscribers are selectedfrom the group consisting of a geometric shape, an avatar, a shape of ananimal, and a shape of an object.
 14. The method of claim 11, whereinthe attribute is selected from the group consisting of a color, a hue, asize, a shape, a sound, flashing, and a periodic change from oneattribute to another attribute.
 15. The method of claim 11, wherein thesubscriber computing devices are selected from the group consisting of adesktop computer, a laptop computer, a PDA, a cellphone, and asmartphone.
 16. The method of claim 11, wherein the profile informationis selected from the group consisting of personal data and preferencedata.
 17. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual space isrepresentative of a real space and wherein the web page comprises agraphical depiction of the virtual space.
 18. The method of claim 17further comprising: determining a location of the subscriber computingdevices relative to the real space; and displaying the interestedsubscriber icon and the other present subscriber icons relative to theirlocations in the real space.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein thereal space is selected from a country, a city, a geographic region, ashopping mall, a trade show venue, a social venue, a school, auniversity, a bar, a night club, and a sports venue.
 20. The method ofclaim 17, wherein computing devices are wireless devices, the network isa wireless network, and the interested subscriber and the other presentsubscribers are physically located in the real space.